11 Shut the fucker down
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Shut the fucker down
WILL
When Riley’s attention swivelled to me, my breath lodged in my throat. Thank fuck I hadn’t just taken a sip of my beer.
Riley was dressed comfortably in black sweats, a grey shacket and Uggs. And forget all the girls in tight jeans or thin sweaters, because she was the only girl I noticed.
When she averted her gaze, focusing on whatever Grace was saying, Levi discreetly glanced over his shoulder and caught my eye. Concern was engraved on his face. My friends needed to stop acting like Riley being around was a big deal, because if they kept this up, then my thoughts were going to run rampant.
I’d done all I could to put my encounter with Riley out of my mind. Yet here she was now, nailing it back in.
I purposely turned my back on the campfire, focussing on Ryan and Morrison as they talked about this morning’s practice. Coach had been breathing down our necks. We were playing Allentown next weekend. Despite being Phil-U’s rivals, Coach seemed to carry extra resentment when it came to Allentown.
“Coach has me watching game tapes of Tanner Holbeck,” Ryan said. “Apparently, and I quote, I need to shut the fucker down. ”
Tanner Holbeck was a name most guys in the league knew and hated, which meant one thing – the guy was fucking elite. He almost gave Levi a run for his money, but Levi’s game came more naturally. Even Levi’s off- days were better than most guys’ best days. If he wasn’t my best friend, I’d hate the guy.
“Coach has it out for Holbeck. Apparently he tried recruiting him out of high school, but Holbeck knocked him back to go to Allentown,” Morrison filled in.
I snickered. “That explains the vendetta.”
Ryan whistled. “Can you imagine Holloway, Caufield and Holbeck on the same line? We’d be un-fucking-stoppable.”
The reality was that we wouldn’t all be on the same line together, but it was fun to imagine.
I shook my empty beer bottle. “I need another drink. You both good?”
After Ryan and Morrison nodded their confirmation, I headed for the drinks van Ryan had ordered in. It was too cold for beer, but it was either that, a fruity drink, or sober up. The latter wasn’t an option. I’d planned on taking it easy tonight, but now Riley was here that possibility was out.
No contact for three years, now twice in one week. When we’d first broken up, I’d thought it would be impossible not seeing each other on campus. Turns out it was pretty fucking simple. And I’m not sure what had changed.
I remained in safe territory for the rest of the night. Now Riley had realised this was the campfire the hockey team was congregating around, she kept her distance too. It was both a blessing and a curse, because while it was easier to breathe when she wasn’t around, I spent too much time trying to spot her.
Given she’d never popped up at the parties I went to, I’d figured she didn’t go to any. Though I was starting to realise that was just what I’d been hoping.
People got drunk at parties. People met people at parties. People hooked up with people at parties. Is that why I couldn’t see her now? Was she zipped inside someone’s tent? Lying in the back seat of their car?
I’d never heard a rumour or hook up story that included Riley Dover, but that didn’t mean they didn’t exist. I mean, look at the girl. She was fucking gorgeous. When I’d realised that in freshman year, I’d done the smart thing and made her my girl before someone else did.
Shit. Maybe that’s why I’d never heard of her hooking up with anyone. Maybe she was dating someone else, something serious.
That thought cut a lot fucking deeper.